


We'll Soar Away

by QueenOfHz



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: BE route spoilers, F/F, Fluff, Gay, JUST LET THEM BE HAPPY, Post-Canon, sapphic pining, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-23 22:49:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20348116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfHz/pseuds/QueenOfHz
Summary: Edelgard has had a crush on the professor from pretty much the beginning.Edeleth interludes, spoilers for the ending of the BE route.





	1. Chapter 1

Ever since the night the strange mercenary stepped in front of a blade meant for her, Edelgard had harbored an… affection for her professor. 

Of course back then those warm, pleasant feelings were merely the silly fantasy of an adolescent girl. Something to daydream about in the classroom, in the afternoon when the sun through the window lit her professor’s hair just right, or especially when Byleth stepped close to adjust her stance in the training yard, adjusting her body to make a smaller target for her opponent. Something to comfort her on the lonely nights when sleep evaded her.

Something to be ignored lest it distract her from her goals. The future emperor was above such things. She had to be.

And yet when Byleth tore space itself apart to return to her students, emerging with new powers and an appearance eerily similar to that wretched false prophet, those same feelings sucker punched Edelgard square in the gut. The relief of knowing the professor was not dead was swallowed by the near certainty that the Archbishop had already sunk her talons deep into Byleth. There was little chance of her professor lending her brilliant mind to Edelgard’s revolution now. This silly schoolgirl crush had to end.

Naturally, that didn’t happen. When the professor, surprising likely even herself, sided with the emperor instead of the church, those rose-hued feelings blossomed warmer than ever. 

Nothing to be done about it, of course. A snowball rolled into an avalanche, Edelgard’s revolution had begun. She had to be a source of strength for her loyal companions who followed her into battle. This was no time to fuss with matters of the heart. At the very least she could take solace in the fact that for once her dreams were quieter than usual.

And then Byleth was gone.

A hole tore open in what was left of Edelgard’s ruined heart. Every time a search party returned empty-handed, she could feel the wound deepening, threatening to consume her entirely. But she could not stop her revolution to mourn. She must keep marching on, must not allow herself to be swallowed by the darkness. Is that not what she once told the professor herself? 

The emperor resolved to honor the memory of her teacher by doing her best to emulate her tactical genius on the battlefield. It was no substitute for the real thing, but it would have to do.

Somehow five years passed.

The morning Byleth walked back into her life, looking as if she had just woken up from a brief nap, brought back sweet emotions within Edelgard that she feared had been lost forever. 

Still, she was the emperor and the war must be won before Edelgard would allow herself to consider admitting her feelings to Byleth. The needs of the people of Fodlan needed to be put before all else. Besides, as far as she knew, Byleth had never shown any sign of being romantically inclined in the slightest. 

Together they crossed the continent, winning battles and securing territory from the Kingdom, until finally, the monster that was the Archbishop lay crumpled before them. Smoke and ash from the burning city filling her lungs. Edelgard turned to her companion beside her. The relief she felt was short lived as the green-haired woman slumped forward with a moan.

_ No, no, no, not again, not her. _ Aymr forgotten, Edelgard rushed over and pressed her ear to Byleth’s chest, listening for a heartbeat. 

Nothing. 

The Sword of the Creator clattered to the broken stone next to her.

_ Please. No. I can’t… _ Tears welled, unbidden, to Edelgard’s eyes. _ Don’t leave me again! _The girl who cried, it seemed, was not gone.

An eternity contained in a moment. Her dearest friend, sacrificed for Edelgard’s dream. Was it worth it?

And then, an eternity and a minute later, Byleth’s chest moved almost imperceptibly. Bringing her ear down once again confirmed it. The world turned right side up again as the sweet sound of a heartbeat met her ear. Edelgard clutched Byleth to her, sobbing with relief. She could hear their friends approaching them, although for a few precious seconds, nothing in the universe existed but the two of them.

Despite Hubert’s protests and her body screaming from the battle, Edelgard had insisted on carrying Byleth herself back to a safe distance from the flames so that she may be treated by a healer. Her eyes, newly restored to that comforting shade of blue, had opened but she remained unresponsive to anything around her as Edelgard carefully navigated the burning streets. The healers assured her that this was likely shock, and as there were no life-threatening injuries, Byleth would be right as rain after a few days of bed rest.

The duties of the emperor filled the following weeks. Edelgard wasted no time in organizing her army to sweep the city, clearing rubble and ensuring the bodies of the fallen were laid to rest. Her days were long, meeting with nobles to secure their loyalty to the Empire in exchange for aid in rebuilding the city ravaged by the archbishop. Finally, Edelgard’s dream of a unified Fodlan was within sight.

However chaotic and grueling each day was, Edelgard always set aside time before retiring to her quarters to visit Byleth as she recovered. They had set up a makeshift infirmary in the palace, one of the few structures in the city left alone by the fire. The former professor remained in a catatonic state; although she was able to perform basic functions such as eating when a tray of food was placed in front of her, and could walk if someone was there to guide her arm, nothing anyone said to her would elicit a response more animated than a blink. 

Edelgard would bring in a tray of tea, pouring a cup for each of them. The professor’s would inevitably go untouched but the simple motions of pouring the tea was comforting and brought back a sense of normalcy to Edelgard; something sorely needed after a long day of being the emperor.

As she sipped the tea- chamomile, so she would sleep easier, Edelgard would tell Byleth of how her day had been. Idle chatter, really, and she wasn’t sure if Byleth was actually listening to anything, but Manuela had assured her that hearing a friendly voice could only help the blue-haired woman recover. Edelgard also found this routine soothing, relishing the brief period of peace to decompress and relax before bed.

By the fifth day, Byleth had shown virtually no change. Linhardt said that there was _ probably _ no reason to be worried yet, his best guess was that the professor’s body and mind were just taking a while to recover from losing the goddess’s power, as evidenced by the return of her natural hair and eye color. Edelgard hoped he was right. The Byleth she knew would not be so cruel as to only return halfway to life.

After pouring the tea, Edelgard sighed and rubbed her temples. That day had been particularly stressful. A spat had broken out in a northern territory between her troops and a holdout of kingdom loyalists, resulting in several casualties, the news arriving to her at the break of dawn. Then a minor lord who had evidently drank his breakfast started off her list of morning appointments by suggesting that her invasion of the city was only because it was a certain time of the month. It took a considerable amount of willpower to keep Hubert from eviscerating him on the spot.

“His face did turn a lovely shade of purple when I thanked him for _ generously _volunteering to feed and house our army on our march back to Enbarr,” Edelgard said with a small laugh as she finished recounting the event. “Which, provided all goes well here in Fhirdiad, should happen within three weeks. So, my teacher, you’d better get out of this bed soon if you intend on accompanying me,” Edelgard said with a forced tone of positivity. Byleth simply gazed ahead; eyes unfocused.

Edelgard set her tea cup down and gently pulled Byleth’s hand into her lap. “I do hope you will choose to accompany me, though. There is something important I’ve been meaning to ask you, but with the war and my position as emperor, there has simply not been a good time.”

She studied Byleth’s hand as she spoke, tracing the scars earned from a life of mercenary work. Her fingers found the pulse on her wrist and stopped. “I remember how you used to joke with us that you didn’t have a heartbeat. As... _ unusual _ as you are sometimes, I’m thankful that was not actually true.” She could feel the tears welling up again. Since her body remembered that it could cry five days ago, it now delighted in taking every opportunity to do so. Edelgard sniffled and rubbed her eyes with the back of her gloved hand. It was getting late and she knew she should probably think about retiring for the night.

An achingly familiar voice broke the silence. “I really didn’t have a heartbeat, you know. That was a side effect of the goddess’s power.”

The haze of sleepiness shrouding Edelgard disappeared in an instant as her head snapped up to the woman on the bed.

Byleth sleepily blinked at her, her other hand not currently being held by Edelgard tucked inside her shirt collar, massaging over where her heart was. “I’m serious, this is a really strange sensation when you’re not used to it,” she deadpanned, voice raspy from lack of use.

“Professor!” Edelgard smiled, wiping the stray tears from her face. “You… You’re awake! How are you feeling? Let me call for the healers.”

Edelgard rose to alert the infirmary staff but was halted by Byleth’s hand in her lap, gently tugging her back down to her seat.

“I’m fine. Just give me a few minutes.” The blue-haired woman picked up the cold cup of tea Edelgard had set beside her and sipped. “Rhea?”

“She’s dead. The grip the Church of Seiros had on Fodlan is no more.”

Byleth nodded. “That wasn’t a dream then. Good.” Byleth yawned and readjusted herself on the bed, lying on her side to face Edelgard. “You’ve been visiting me.” It wasn’t a question.

“It’s been five days, Professor. I was beginning to think you’d fallen into one of your infamous magical naps again.” 

Byleth smiled at that. “No, I don’t think I’ll be doing that again. These last few days have been… Well, I was here, but at the same time I was far away. Your voice was the easiest to focus on through the fog, though. Sorry to worry you, Edelgard.” She closed her eyes for a moment and ran her fingers through her messy hair. “Do I remember you had something to ask me?”

Edelgard felt her face burn red. “Oh! Um… It’s not… It can wait until you have fully recovered, Professor. You really should get some rest anyway, I’ll go inform Manuela you’re awake.” She stood up, her haste threatening to knock the tray of tea onto the floor.

“Hmm, okay.” Byleth’s eyes were questioning but sleep was rapidly winning the battle over staying awake.

By the time Edelgard returned with Manuela, Byleth was curled up and softly snoring. Edelgard gently pulled a blanket over the blue-haired woman as Manuela checked her pulse.

“You said she got down some liquid? That’s excellent, thank you Edelgard. I’ll keep an eye on her tonight, but it looks like our dear Professor is in the clear!” Manuela’s voice was cheery yet held a note of sleeplessness from long hours supervising the infirmary.

“My thanks, Professor Manuela.”

“Now, as a medical professional, I advise you to get some rest.” Manuela lowered her voice, her eyes shadowed with concern. “And as a woman, Edelgard, I advise you to stop torturing yourself and just admit it to her. Even the emperor has needs, you know.”

Her face the same shade as her dress, Edelgard could only turn and retreat back to her quarters. 

She would, of course. Just… Not now. Not in Fhirdiad.

_ Sleep well, my teacher. I’m not going to let you go again. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The S-Support we got in the game was too short!

_ El… Please accept this gift. _

The words echoed through Edelgard’s mind, uttered just a few minutes ago. Surely this wasn’t, couldn’t be happening. Bliss radiated through the emperor as the knowledge that Byleth Eisner, her beloved former teacher and closest friend, shared her desire to spend the rest of their lives together. 

“Does it fit? I’m afraid I don’t know much about jewelry,” Byleth deadpanned. Most would consider the professor the very image of calm, but Edelgard’s ability to read the woman had drastically improved in the months since her return. The faint blush on her cheeks, the way she toyed with the corners of her cloak, all were signs that Byleth was actually quite nervous.

“As I said before, it is lovely, my teach-- Byleth. Thank you.” The professor’s name felt unusual in her mouth.

Had Edelgard not been wearing gloves, the band might have been too loose, but perhaps it was better this way. She generally did not wear much jewelry. If anyone were to ask her it was simply because it would be a liability on the battlefield, but truthfully Edelgard could barely stand the feeling of metal touching her skin ever since, well… 

The ring was simple but elegant, and since she preferred to keep her hands gloved most of the time it would not be a problem. Besides, the joy she could see on Byleth’s face when she put it on was worth it. Anything that made her newly betrothed light up like that was rare and precious.

“I must admit, while I had hoped you would return my feelings, I never expected this conversation to result in an engagement.”

Byleth smiled and cupped Edelgard’s cheek, closing the distance between them. “You should know,” her voice dropping to a tone that stroked something deep in Edelgard’s belly, “I hate to be predictable.” The taller woman lowered her head, pressing her lips against Edelgard’s, who eagerly acquiesced, placing her free hand around Byleth’s waist. Her stomach, which had been previously full of butterflies, positively erupted in a golden warmth. If they stayed like that forever, she supposed that would be alright.

Alas, the need to breathe forced the two to end their kiss. She had no desire to exit the embrace however, and instead pulled Byleth closer, burying her face into the taller woman’s collarbone, enjoying her scent as well as concealing the few drops of moisture that had appeared at the corner of her eyes. Byleth responded by kissing the top of her head and stroking her thumb along the back of Edelgard’s gloved hand.

They stood like that for a while, the sun sinking lower on the horizon, painting the tower above them in gentle hues of red and gold. One of her favorite things about Byleth was that there was never any need to speak when they were around each other, and yet the silences were not uncomfortable in the slightest. Byleth allowed her to simply be Edelgard, not the emperor, not the scared girl in her nightmares, not the ruthless tyrant that Dimitri saw her as. Edelgard would have been sure this was a dream, if not for the fact that the best nights of sleep she could hope for anymore were to just remain dreamless.

Byleth eventually broke the silence. “As good as it looks on you, your crown is not the most comfortable thing to have pressed against one’s neck.” The smile in her voice was evident. Edelgard laughed at this and pulled her head back, lavender eyes meeting blue.

“Oh? Do you presume to put your own comfort above your emperor’s? I suppose I must--” Edelgard was cut off by Byleth’s mouth once again meeting her own. When Edelgard moved to deepen the kiss, however, she felt her former professor break into a smile.

The emperor certainly did not let out an undignified shriek when Byleth deftly scooped her legs out from under her and carried her over to the nearby bench.

“That was cute,  _ your majesty _ .” Her former professor had that infuriating smirk on her face again.

“Byleth! I can still give this ring back, you know.”

Byleth pulled Edelgard’s hand up and kissed it. “But you won’t.”

Edelgard’s mock indignant face melted into a smile. “No,” she breathed. She took in Byleth’s face, a faint blush adorning it. That ruffled dark hair, those deep blue eyes that she thought she would never see again. Even after the goddess’s powers had altered the professor’s appearance, the version of Byleth she held in her heart had always kept her original eye and hair color.

“It’s nice. To hear you say my name, I mean. Not even my father called me by my name often. I think it reminded him of my mother.”

“Well, I can hardly go around calling you ‘my teacher’ in public, now can I? That would be most inappropriate behavior from the emperor.”

“No, I suppose not.” Byleth laced their fingers together in her lap and grew silent again, biting her lip. Edelgard had known Byleth long enough to understand that meant she had something more to say but needed a moment to form the right words. That was okay. They could sit there for hours for all she cared. Edelgard laid her head on Byleth’s shoulder and basked in the peace.

The sun had finally slipped behind the mountains when Byleth broke the silence. “So... It’s okay then? In public? I was worried that even if you did wish to be with me, that you could not for political reasons. You might have to marry for an alliance, or that it would be improper for you to be seen with a commoner. Or even that we are both--” Byleth’s uncharacteristically rushed speech was interrupted by a gloved hand on her chin. Edelgard lifted her head and looked at her, face stern.

“My dearest. Did I not already accept your proposal? Do you think I would not have considered possible consequences  _ or benefits _ of us being together? I believe that was one of the lessons you taught me, hm?”

Byleth squeezed her hand. “El, maybe the battlefield is not a great metaphor for a relationship.”

“Regardless. I am the emperor who has just reunited all of Fodlan, there is nobody in a position to question who I choose to spend my life with. Addressing your other points, if it will make you feel better,” Edelgard lowered her head back to Byleth’s shoulder. “Destroying the nobility system means there should be no stigma against marrying outside the noble houses. Who better to set that example than myself? Which brings us to your last worry. While it’s not exactly… common among noble houses due to the need to produce heirs that carry a crest, unions between two people of the same gender are perfectly legal in the Empire.”

Byleth sighed. “I’m glad. I would hate to be a cause of difficulty in diplomatic matters.”

“Never, my dearest. You give me more strength than you know.” 

Byleth hummed in response.

As the chill of mountain air signalled the encroaching darkness, her thoughts turned to the subject that had been in the back of her mind since she was a student with a silly crush on her teacher. A subject that most others would likely enjoy fantasizing about but only made her stomach turn when she thought of what any potential partner would eventually see.

Edelgard fiddled with the ring on her finger. Best to get it over with.

“Will… Will you stay with me tonight?” She could feel her face flush and could only stare at her lap. “Not.. We don’t have to do anything... Intimate. No, I don’t think I’m ready for that. But I think with you there… I could at least sleep.” 

“Yes, El. Of course. Whatever you’re comfortable with.” Byleth’s hands closed over Edelgard’s restless hands. “We can take things as slow as you want. I’m here for you, I made a promise.”

Edelgard leaned forward, stealing another kiss from her betrothed and running her fingers through that dark hair. Byleth sighed in contentment and continued their kiss, her lips slightly chapped against Edelgard’s.

For the first time in a long time, she did not fear the coming dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again everyone for the lovely comments! I just beat Azure Moon and I needed something to heal the pain. If anyone wants to follow me on twitter for more mostly Fire Emblem nonsense, you can find me @Queen_of_Hz

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading the first fic I've dared let other people read! I'm intending on this being a series of Edeleth moments, not sure how connected they'll be. These two are just the cutest and they deserve so much happiness together, especially our poor emperor.


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